Residents
from Kg Kasipillay in Sentul are frustrated by continuous flash floods that
affect their only access road caused by a collapsed drainage and a blocked
sump. The residents, numbering about 3,000, and not including residents from a
couple of condominiums which are located there, say that it takes less than
half an hour for the water to reach half a meter deep, every time it rains.

“This causes a traffic jam all the way back to Jalan Ipoh, a 30-minute
bottleneck for a distance of less than 200 meters,” said resident A.
Balasivasubramaniam. The 65-year-old, who has lived in the settlement for 34
years, said that the flash floods are caused by collapsed drainage on one side
of the access road, Jalan Selvadurai, and a blocked sump. “We believe the drainage
collapsed with the heavy vehicles from a tile factory parked by the side. These
heavy vehicles eventually caused the collapse of the drain,” he said. “The
vehicles have also caused the slope near the small bridge above Sungai Batu to
sink and the problem keeps getting worse.”
Just across the road, a sump that should have been there is hardly visible as
it is clogged with water, creating a large puddle.
“A new hypermarket is coming up and they have planted pine trees along the road
without clearing the drain, and this has blocked the sump,” Balasivasubramaniam
added.
Meanwhile, 77-year-old Lim Seng Yor, a chicken rice seller whose shop is
located next to the tile factory, said that his business is affected when it
rains. “People can’t park their cars, so they don’t come,” lamented Lim, who
has been in business for 40 years. Segambut
MP Lim Lip Eng said that City Hall has been informed of the matter several
times but no solution has been forthcoming. “My last complaint was filed on
April 18. I will continue to work on the problem along with the Kg Kasipillay
residents association,” he said. The association was only established in
October to solve this long-standing problem, Lim added.
“There is a Carrefour coming up on Jalan Selvadurai. I can imagine what the
traffic will be like if they do not solve this problem soon,” Lim said.